An American man lived illegally at Chicago International Airport for three months because he was afraid of contracting the coronavirus, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Aditya Singh, 36, unemployed, found a badge lost by an airport employee, infiltrated the “sterile” area and spent three months there, feeding off passengers. When it all came out, the man testified in court that he was afraid to fly to his native Los Angeles because of COVID-19.

Singh is accused of criminal trespassing into a restricted area of the airport and stealing property. However, the defense insists that despite the unusual circumstances of the case, Singh’s actions were not violent.